Rolling Seas
by CHMW
Summary: It takes a final sword fight and a few parting words for Linebeck to finally realize that Jolene might actually be in love with him, but an apology letter only adds fuel to the flames of heartbreak.
1. rhythm of the seas

chapter one.

rhythm of the seas.

The sea. Something about the soft roll of the waves and the sound of them crashing against the beach was soothing, especially in the silence of night. There was a rhythm to the waves, just like the rhythm of the furnace as a ship puffed along the vast ocean. The waves would reach the beach with such ferocity but gently touch the sandy shore, and then retreat back to its hideout to plan another charge to the beach. Their was something about their consistency he liked. It was like the waves would stick by him no matter what happened, like only the sea knew his full potential as the captain of the S.S. Linebeck...

Linebeck gave himself a smirk as he lay restless on his bed listening to the waves in his quarters of the infamous ship. He could not sleep, even though the ship was docked at Zauz Island on a calm night. Most captains dream of such a peaceful night to rest their eyes, so why couldn't he sleep? The brave captain needed his beauty sleep, especially with all the adventure he had partook in the last few weeks. Ever since he had met this little blonde kid with the green hat he had been dragged all over the high seas battling every monster imaginable along the way. The dark circles under his eyes were growing darker and ruining his handsome image for Goddess's sake! With all these trials facing him everyday, why couldn't he fall asleep at the first break he had in forever?

As the waves washed over the sand of the island Linebeck let his thoughts wash over him. He thought back to the events of the day, to the showdown Link had with Jolene. It was a fearsome battle that he recalled bravely witnessing from the wooden crate, with Jolene losing and getting a right whopping from the kid.

Ah Jolene, the she-pirate that would stop and nothing to slit his throat. Even the thought of her ruthlessness made the captain want to crawl and hide in the nearest crate. For years Jolene had followed Linebeck to every corner of the world out for his blood, but even still he couldn't fully understand why. Okay maybe stealing her treasure when he left was not the best move, even Linebeck could admit to that. He half wished that he had never stoled it from her in the first place if it was going to cause him all this grief.

"But that was just it!" Linebeck muttered to himself in the dark, "it wasn't even worth anything, just some useless trinkets." In fact they were so useless the sea captain had to haggle to have the pieces taken off his hands. It was mostly random findings such as Helmaroc plume feathers and pieces of pink coral, hardly a treasure for a so called "pirate."

There was one piece of the treasure though that he couldn't give away, not that he would of got anything for it anyways. Remembering that he still had this piece stashed away the captain jumped out of bed and thrust his arm under the mattress. He felt around until he pulled out some pieces of paper from under the bed. They weren't just pieces of paper, they were letters. Linebeck had an odd habit of never throwing letters away, perhaps because he hardly received any letters to begin with. He had been on his own for so long he didn't need people in his life, and when you don't need anyone mail is more of a scarcity. The letters hailed from different people in different walks of life, some from Jolene herself, but that wasn't what he was looking for. Feeling around some more his fingers grazed a piece of paper that was more weighty than the letters. There it was, the last piece of Jolene's treasure. Pulling it out Linebeck got up from kneeling on the floor and lit a lamp perched upon his impressive captain desk. He sat down and let his eyes wash over the piece of paper, the memories it held rushing to his mind and flooding him with an array of emotions.

It was a picture, an old picture to say the least. It was taken with a simple pictograph box at a festival Linebeck and Jolene attended on Mercay Island in honor of the Ocean King. Of course this was many years before Linebeck knew that the Ocean King was just an old man that liked to yell at him, but back then things seemed to be simpler. Linebeck still remembered that festival fondly. It had been filled with delicious foods and games for all to enjoy during a night of celebration. That was Linebeck's first Ocean King Festival, and spending it with Jolene had made it even more memorable. She had of course talked him into stealing all kinds of foods that they heartily enjoyed, but one of her more tender moments was the desire to take a picture together. She had said it would be a funny way to remember their dastardly deeds for years to come. Linebeck had to agree with her, though he didn't so much remember their pirate crimes as much as all the fun they had together that night. Looking at the picture now he could even see the enjoyment written all over their faces. They were both much younger then; the captain didn't even adorn his admiral coat yet and was attired in just a simple white shirt and vest. His hair was also shorter then and the bags under his eyes were not as dark as they were now. Jolene also look much different. She sported less makeup back then and her hair was down, making her look as wild as the sea. The she-pirate held Linebeck in a sort of headlock with a soft smile on her face, and even he had his trademark smirk as he glanced at her in the picture.

Linebeck looked deep into the eyes of his younger self. He looked happy. He was happy, if he recalled correctly. However it was like he had told Link and the fluff ball earlier, the pirate and the captain were from different worlds. Jolene was too much for him. She was all about the swashbuckling, thieving, and playing pirate dress-up constantly. It was fun but it grew too tiresome for the wayfarer. It came to the point of after dancing around it for months he finally ended it. But that couldn't of been why Jolene had been tracking him down for so long, right? I mean come on, they both knew it was going no where. They were too different, nothing in common, she would of eventually killed him if they kept it up...

And then it was as if a cold wave crashed down over Captain Linebeck as he sat there staring at the withered picture. The look in her eyes. Her wry smile. The way she use to treat him, tough but with a sort of softness not normally seen in pretend pirates.

She... loved him?

Linebeck shook his head as if to free it from such an absurd thought. "Of course not! I mean sure we had our romantic fling, but that happens when you spend long days on the sea. It wasn't anything serious it was just..."

Suddenly Ciela's words echoed clearly through is thoughts. "_Oh...Linebeck. You really are dense, aren't you?"_

That was it. She did love him. No denying it, Linebeck now saw the truth. It all fit into place. All her actions, the way she was impressed by how he had artfully slay the monster that had attacked her ship when they first met, how after he had run off and taken what meaningful trinkets she possessed she spent all her efforts chasing him down in revenge.

The color rushed up to his shallow cheeks. Love. It seemed such a foreign word to the lonesome captain. I mean sure he had used it for many great treasures he had unearthed in his quests, but never had he used it for another human being.

A churning feeling starting developing in the pit of his stomach. It was like the first time he stepped on the open sea and his breakfast didn't agree with him. Or when he had more than his fair share of drink at the tavern, which happened often. The thought of Jolene's feelings made him queasy and depressed at the same time. What was it called... guilt? Yeah that sounded right, it sounded like he felt guilty for everything he had done. He felt guilty for not realizing her feelings sooner, for ignoring the truth so he could do what he wanted, for leaving her high and dry while making off with her treasure.

"Wow, Ciela is right... I am a jerk."

Linebeck felt lost and claustrophobic at the same time. What was he to do? More importantly, how did he feel? Did he feel the same way towards her? Or was it just guilt?

The questions spun around in his mind until it made him dizzy, causing him to steady himself by grasping the back of the chair. He felt like his head was going to explode, that everything he believed in was wrong. He wasn't a great captain, he was nothing but a coward. Everything wrong, everything wrong, everything...

Then suddenly the noise in his head stopped. And the sound of the waves outside dominated again.

Linebeck then knew what he needed to do. Grabbing some paper and an ink jar, he took his pen and set to work with only the tempo of the waves to keep him company.

Author's Note: Hey guys! This is my first Zelda fanfic, and of course I fall in love with one of the most random couples in the series... but it makes for a good story. I've actually had half of this story written out for over a year and a half now, but I wanted to make sure I could finish it before I posted it here. I hope you like it so far, please read and review!


	2. mystery of a letter

_Author's Note: Thank you guys so much for the reviews! I'm glad a few of you are enjoying it so much :) and I'm so sorry for the super delayed update, I've had this done for quite some time but was busy to upload it. So here's chapter 2, hope you like it!_

chapter two.

mystery of a letter.

"Linebeck! Linebeck! LINEBECK! Seriously, where is that coward!"

Ciela bounced around frantically as she checked the deck for a third time to see if their arrogant captain was strutting along the bow. But once again she was disappointed as he was no where to be found on deck. The young fairy was extremely frustrated that she had checked the entire ship all morning and could not find Linebeck.

Flying around she went over to where Link sat. He too had been searching the ship bow to stern to find the captain. He finally had the Phantom Sword in hand and he wanted to head back to Mercay as quickly as possible to slay Bellum and save Tetra. He could almost see her running and hugging him, but first he needed to defeated the evil monster.

"I don't know where he could of gone Ciela, it's not like him to leave the ship at all."

Ciela started to fume as her intense dislike for the captain was intensifying. "Ugh! We've checked everywhere for him though: the deck, his captain's quarters, the crate where he likes to hide..."

Suddenly a lightbulb went on in Link's head. "Wait! You checked the captain's quarters right?"

"Of course I did! That's the first place I checked! He gets to be all cozy in his quarters while we freeze in the cargo hold—"

"No I mean did you just skim the room and assume he wasn't in there when you didn't see him right away, or did you really check it?

Ciela could almost feel herself blush out of embarrassment. "Well when you put it like that I guess I didn't really check, I mean if he's just sleeping I would of heard him instantly with that insanely loud snore of his."

Without another word Link sprang up from his spot up on deck and ran over to thoroughly check the captain's quarters with Ciela following close behind. He sprinted over to the door and quickly stopped to listen. Sure enough it sounded dead silent. As he pulled open the door it did in fact look completely deserted, nothing but a mess of papers on the desk and a pile of blankets on top of the bed. Ciela couldn't help but felt triumphant that she had been right about the room being Linebeck-less.

It was then that the two of them noticed the pile of blankets on the bed started to rustle. Link quietly tip-toed over to the edge of the bed and slowly pulled back the unnecessary amounts of blankets to unearth what could be underneath it.

There lay their captain: snuggled up in a ball, fully-clothed, and resting peacefully. The fairy was surprised that for the first time the two had know him that he wasn't waking up the dead with his thunderous snores. She watched as Link raised a child-like had and tried to shake him to wakefulness, but to no avail. Guess Linebeck was in a deep sleep.

Not having any patience for their captain right now, Ciela took matters into her own hands. "Linebeck! Get up you lazy bum, we have to set sail!"

The thin captain nearly fell out of bed has he was startled by her wakening. Breathing heavily and agitated Linebeck looked like he really might really try to kill Ciela this time. "By Din's Fire! What the heck were you trying to do puffball, give me a heart attack!"

Ciela had no time for his selfishness right now. "Oh I'm sorry, did we disturb your beauty sleep? Forgive Link for trying to save his friend and the world from the jaws of evil, you just go back to your sleep—"

"Stop it Ciela," Link interjecting, trying to stop the two from entering into another fight. "We found Linebeck so now we can get going." He looked over at Linebeck who was trying to rub the sleep from his eyes. "Hey you ok there? You don't look so great."

Linebeck gave a little pout in response. "Jeez thanks for the compliment. But yes I'm fine, just didn't get any sleep last night." At the mention of his lack of sleep he picked up a photograph that he had been lying next to him on the bed. Ciela gave a puzzled look as he picked up the piece of paper and stared into it with a hint of sadness. What was is the photo that made him look so sad?

Before the fairy could question him though he stashed it away in his vest pocket and quickly changed the subject. "So, we finally ready to set sail then?"

"Yes," Ciela replied. She now felt slightly guilty now for being so rude to him after seeing him look so sad. Just slightly mind you. "Link has the Phantom Sword so there is nothing left to do but head back to Mercay Island."

"Wonderful," Linebeck mumbled. The fairy noticed that he didn't seem himself. He looked downcast and seemed to be more entangled in his own thoughts. He then must of noticed how he was coming off to his traveling companions for he shook his head and put on a cocky face.

"Ok! So, we need to set sail so we can defeat Bellum and the old man can give me my wish for more treasure!" There was the jerk that Ciela loved to hate. "First thing is first though, I need you two to mail this letter for me."

He got up from his disheveled bed and headed over to the pile of papers on top of his desk. He filtered through the discarded ones before unveiling a sealed letter underneath all the clutter and ink.

Ciela was confused. "Mail a letter? You can't do it yourself?"

Linebeck continued to sift through the papers as if he was making sure he didn't leave anything out. "Not if you guys want to leave here as soon as we can. I have to get the furnace running and this ol' girl going, so you guys have the pleasure of giving the letter to the postman. Tell him it's from Linebeck, he will know where it needs to go."

Link and Ciela exchanged confused looks at the obscurity of the letter. Linebeck seemed to be hiding something, but whatever it was he wasn't about to reveal it as he donned his admiral coat and got ready to get the S.S. Linebeck started.

"When did you write this?" Link inquired, inspecting the envelope in his hands.

The captain shrugged. "Just last night. Anyways no time for questions, you two better get on it, you don't want to miss the postman while he's on his rounds."

Since there was nothing else for the two of them to do they went on land and headed to the nearest mailbox, leaving the treasure seeker to ready the ship for the voyage to Mercay. Ciela couldn't help but be curious as to whom the letter was for, and from Link's silence she could guess he was probably thinking about the same thing.

When they arrived at the mailbox on Zauz's Island they saw that the postman was already there, collecting the mail that had accumulated in the box for proper distribution. Fluttering ahead of Link the young fairy caught the postman's attention. "Hey! Listen, we have mail for you."

The postman pulled his eyes away from reading other people's mail (which he always claimed was part of his job) and turned his attention to the duo. "Oh, mail? Fantastic! I will be happy to deliver it wherever it needs to go, what have you got for me then?"

Link pulled the letter out from under his tunic and handed it over. The postman fingered the envelope with curiosity, seeming to take notice that the front was completely blank. "Ok, but who's it for?"

Link just shrugged. "We don't know, it's from Linebeck. He said if we gave it to you that you would know where it needed to go."

Hearing this the postman's beady eyes widen and his small wings beat with excitement. "No way! You've got to be kidding me, he really said that! Oh boy I hope this means what I think it does."

Before Ciela and Link had a chance to usher another word the young postman was already ripping into the envelope, letting his small eyes pour over the words that Linebeck had written. They watched in silence as the postman's bucktooth smile grew wider and wider the more he read the letter. When he finally finished reading through he let out a whoop of glee.

"Yippeeee! This makes my little wings flutter, I cannot wait to deliver this baby." In his excitement he started to flap his wings so he could take off and deliver the letter immediately.

Ciela however had received no answers this morning, and she wasn't about to let the winged postman leave without giving any. "Wait! Who's the letter for, you can't just leave without telling us anything!"

The postman started to lift higher and higher, a smile plastered all over his face. "Nope! Sorry friends, it would be against my civic duty as a postman to reveal that sort of information. It just wouldn't be right!"

Ciela felt enraged for the second time in the last hour, causing her to bounce up and down in annoyance. "But you read people's letters, how is that fair!"

"Ah, but that is just a part of my job. How would I be able to convey letters to people if I haven't even read them before?" And without giving the fairy a chance to retort, he soared high in the sky and disappeared in the clouds.

Slack-jawed, Ciela turned to her hero companion. "Well what the heck was that all about?"


	3. sunshine and storm clouds

_Author's Note: Ah I have to get better at posting more often! Anyways here's where the story gets more dramatic, hopefully not overly so. I don't know if I'm as good as writing Jolene as I am Linebeck, but let me know what you guys think. Thank you for all the reviews!_

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chapter three.

sunshine and storm clouds.

Another beautiful sunny day. The lone pirate looked out at the weather from the wooden deck of her ship as she sailed into the port of Bannan Island. She thanked the Ocean King for such calm weather lately, it made it much easier for her to hunt down Linebeck. Is was as if life was handing him to her on a silver platter so she could exact her revenge on him. She smiled at the thought.

Jolene had traveled all the way to Bannan Island to visit her sister Joanne; it was as good a time as ever to pay a visit. The pirate had once again been defeated by the boy in green mere days ago in her attempt to take revenge on Linebeck. That boy, if he hadn't of gotten in the way she would of been able to dispose of the captain by now. Jolene couldn't figure out why such a brave boy would continually stand up for such a coward of a man.

"I'm sure the so-called captain blackmailed that poor boy," she muttered to herself. "From what I hear the kid is just trying to save his friend, and Linebeck is nothing but dead weight. I'm sure they struck some sort of bargain; the boy protects Linebeck's wimpy hide and in return he ferries him around in his tiny boat."

It didn't matter to Jolene though, soon enough the boy in green would complete his quest (or die trying) and that would make Linebeck an easy target for her. A smirk grew across her dark complexion as she imagined being able to destroy the cowardly captain. That would be a happy day indeed.

As Jolene's ship glided next to the dock she squinted her eyes to scanned the shore of the island. She could see monsters squirming all over the land, though they were rather small, and Jolene couldn't help but wonder who would want to live here. She didn't understand Joanne sometimes. Her mermaid-crazed sister had found this old wayfarer on this island and became something of his mistress... even though he thought she was really a mermaid. He must be a fool.

With the warm sun now beating down Jolene quickly tied her ship to port and secured the sail. She was such a sailing pro that she could do it quicker than a full pirate crew, something she was proud of. As she finished and stepped on to land the sun glistened on her dark skin and the wind ruffled her black hair. With a glint in her eye she pulled out her scimitar and started hacking away at the chuchus and rats that infested the land. It was the only way for her to make it up to the hut safely.

"Nothing like a bloodbath to start the day."

Hacking her way through Jolene was able to make it up to the old wayfarer's hut, greeting the sight with a sigh of relief as she wiped the sweat off her brow. She raised her arm to knock on the worn-down door before something on the door's surface got her attention. Nailed to the wooden door was a note, in Joanne's handwriting. Jolene had been writing her sister for so long she could recognize her penmanship instantly. Furrowing her brow Jolene read the note that was addressed to her.

_My dearest sister,_

_I am sorry if you read this but I went out to sea with my dear to catch more fish, seems we just can't catch them quick enough! I will be back shortly, so you can wait inside if you wish or on your ship. I presume you will choose the later. See you soon Lenne!_

_- Anne_

As annoyed as Jolene was in discovering that he sister was not even on the island her annoyance melted away as the sight of her childhood nickname, Lenne. Her sister had not called her that for ages, but it reminded Jolene how much she did indeed love her.

Shrugging to herself she said, "Oh well, guess I'm waiting here for a while."

Jolene sheathed her sword and was about to hike back to her ship, when a shadow crossed her path and she heard the familiar flutter of wings. Her suspicions were proven correct when she looked up and saw the postman, fluttering above and smiling his usual goofy grin.

The young postman landed lightly in front of Jolene, looking pleased as punch to see her. "Well hello there Jolene! Beautiful day, isn't it?"

Jolene had never been much for small talk, so she cut to the chase. "If you're here to deliver a letter from Joanne you're too late, she already left to go fishing and I read her note—

"Nope!" The postman interjected before she could finish. "I have a letter for you, but it's not from Joanne." His toothy smile grew wider and wider as he handed her the already opened mail.

Now Jolene was just confused. Taking the letter from him she asked, "Not from Joanne? Who else would write to me?"

The postman gave no answers, he merely giggled with growing excitement. Jolene rolled her eyes and pulled the letter out from the ripped envelope. She had violently threatened the young postman not to read her letters, but he never listened. She unfolded the parchment and quickly skipped to the end to see who in the entire Ocean King realm would write to her. She saw it was signed...

Linebeck.

Her heart skipped a beat. The sight of his signature on the letter made Jolene fell like she was falling from a great distance, and that the pit of her stomach had dropped out completely. Her heart pounded loudly in her ears, so loud she felt sure the postman could hear it.

He... Linebeck? Why would he write her a letter? What? What was this nonsense?

Jolene could not make heads or tails of the situation, so with the postman still grinning at her she set to read underneath the sun's rays.

_To: Jolene_

_Hey... ok I know I'm about the last person you would be expecting a letter from right now. Or wanting a letter from in fact. So please don't rip this up just yet, I need to say a few things. Ok here it goes... I am sorry. After Link beat you in that duel and you left the ship I kept on thinking about what you said. And I kept on thinking about our past, about the history we have together. And I realized what a complete jerk I've been to you. All this time I just wrote you off as crazy (please don't kill me for writing that) for chasing me around and vowing to kill me, but now I realize I was wrong. Terribly wrong. How many times do you hear me admit that? I'm not building a good case for myself, am I. Anyways I realize that not only did I steal your treasure when I parted, but I left without saying anything. No goodbye, nothing after all those years we sailed together. I just left. And you want to know why? Cause I'm a coward. You were right all along, I just didn't want to admit it to myself. So I am sorry for being a terrible guy to you. You see I kept that old photo of us at the Ocean King festival, and I realized how much fun we use to have together. And I miss that. I... miss you. So I know this apology is long overdue but I hope you can forgive me... or at least not slaughter me. Even though I fully deserve it. But I hope that one day maybe we can go to another festival together again._

_- Linebeck_

Jolene stared in complete disbelief at the letter. He... apologized? That rat of a man had written her a letter and apologized?

Before she could absorb any more of the letter the sound of the postman babbling on pulled her out of her own thoughts. "Oh boy! You know I've been waiting years for the two of you to finally get back together! I remember all those letters you guys wrote to each other when you would be separated for a few months, they were beautiful. I'm sure you want to send him just as sweet of a letter in return, so I can wait here until you finish—"

In a blink of an eye Jolene pulled out her scimitar and stopped it dead in front of the postman's button nose. She saw his eyes widen with terror at the sight of her ferocitiy. With a deadly voice she replied, "No. I will not fall for his scheme. It's all lies. He is just trying to get out of his impending doom."

The postman gave the she-pirate a pleading look. "I-I think he really means it, his letter sounds sincere—"

"He won't change! He can't change. This is all a ploy," she said as tears started to form in her eyes, "and this is by far the deepest dagger he has plunged into my heart. I won't kill him. I will slaughter him."

"N-No! I think he has changed, I think—"

Swwwwiiiink! With those last words Jolene waved her sword in the air towards the young man, narrowly missing him by inches. Deep down she knew that she wasn't aiming to hurt him, just scare him away. The postman jumped backwards and started flapping his wings. As he ascended into the clouds she saw a look of dejection smeared across his round face, but with a flutter he turned around and disappeared once again into the sky.

Jolene felt her legs collapse under her as the tears she had been bottling up spilled out. Gasping between sobs she crumpled the letter in her open hand, wanting to forever destroy the evidence of his complete and utter insolence. To her the letter wasn't a step to mend a relationship, it was only smashing up the pieces of what was left of her heart.


	4. heroic celebration

_Another chapter! I think I'm getting better at uploading chapters XD anyways more following Jolene, this chapter shows when in the Phantom Hourglass timeline we're in now. A surprise character shows up as well, hope you enjoy!_

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chapter four.

heroic celebration.

It took her a full day of straight sailing before Jolene made it all the way to Mercay island. She stopped for nothing, letting the southern wind carry her down to her destination by nightfall. Even through the bleak darkness she could see the dim glow of the homes on Mercay, though most of the inhabitants would undoubtedly be at the milk bar at this hour. Jolene knew if that man was on the island he would be there too.

In the cover of darkness the ship sailed gracefully into port. Jolene didn't miss a beat; she was able to dock a ship at night just as well as during the bright day. She quickly tied off her beloved boat and made haste down the wooden pier. Looking around her dark eyes saw no trace of the S.S. Linebeck in port, but that didn't mean anything; he could of dropped anchor anywhere on the island. Still, Jolene's stomach couldn't help but churned a little. If she had traveled all the way to Mercay for nothing... but no matter. She would continue to hunt him down if she had to. Linebeck would pay with his own blood.

Ignoring the stinging pain that was forming in her heart she briskly made her way up to Mercay Tavern, Linebeck's favorite haunt. Taking a deep breath to steady herself, the swashbuckler opened the door into the bar. What greeted her eyes was not what she expected. Instead of the sleepy lull that usually surrounded the milk bar the place was full of life, accompanied by much cheering and celebrating. It seemed like almost everyone on the island was crammed in the small space, toasting and smiling all the while.

A confused Jolene made her way up to the bar and turned to the jolly bartender, his rosy cheeks quivering with laughter. He caught sight of her and gave her a nod and a smile. "Good evening miss! What can I get you?"

Momentarily forgetting about her quest to find Linebeck she inquired, "What the heck is going on in here? There's no festival today, right?"

The bartender's cheeks wobbled with joyous laughter. "Oh no miss! Well at least it's not an official festival yet, but didn't you hear? The evil that lived in the Temple of the Ocean King was destroyed! The Ocean Realm is free!"

Jolene's black eyes widen in surprise. So the kid did it huh? He must of slayed the evil spirit and rescued his friend. Even she had to admit she was impressed, maybe that kid wasn't so crazy after all.

The bartender continued, "Yep, that kid Link fought Bellum and with the help of Captain Linebeck he was able to defeat the monster! THREE CHEERS FOR LINK AND LINEBECK!"

As the patrons cheered and clanked their glasses of milk together Jolene felt her face start to flush. Linebeck!? He helped Link defeat the evil that plagued the ocean? Now this was getting ridiculous. Grabbing the bartender's vest she pulled him down to her eye level and snarled. "Now you listen here. Linebeck is the biggest coward to ever sail the high seas, yet all he does is tell people how awesome he is and spread all these false stories about himself. You're playing right into his lies!"

Half the tavern went silent as they watched Jolene harass the man behind the counter, who was shaking in fear at the sight of the pirate's ferocity. A middle-aged man standing right by her was brave enough to speak up. "M-Miss, I don't know what you have been told but it's true. Linebeck was a real hero."

Turning her murderous eyes to the speaker she let go of the bartender and drew her sword up to the other man's face. "Oh so you know him so well, do you?! No one has seen the things Linebeck has done except me, and let me tell you he is the most spineless thing that ever existed!"

"What he says is true, Linebeck saved all of us."

Out of nowhere an old man with squinty eyes and a grey beard spoke up and stepped forward, leaning on a walking stick with a conch shell attached at the top. Whispers as to where he appeared from circulated around the room, as he was not in the bar a second ago. His odd appearance caused Jolene to lower her scimitar. Narrowing her eyes she asked, "What makes you so sure, old man?"

The old man gave her a soft smile through his beard as he responded. "I saw it with my own eyes. Linebeck steered head-first into the Ghost Ship as Link manned the cannon. Once the Ghost Ship was stopped Link was knocked unconscious by Bellum, so Linebeck grabbed the Phantom Sword and stepped in. He risked his life to save his friends."

The bar erupted with cheers as everyone applauded Linebeck's brave actions. Jolene fumed as she kept her attention on the speaker. "You must be in league with Linebeck, old man, spreading his false stories around."

"I promise you it is not a false story, and my name is Oshus." he replied, keeping his calm and still smiling all the while. Jolene felt frustration and anger well up in her heart, but she realized that she was getting no where with this old geezer. It didn't matter what everyone thought Linebeck did, she knew the true man he was. What she needed to focus on now was locating him so she could expose the truth.

She turned her gaze back to the bartender, and raising her sword a bit higher she spoke in a deadly tone of voice. "Where is your blessed hero then? Perhaps I should hear the story with my own ears if everyone else so blindly believes it."

Once again shaking in his boots the bartender weakly replied, "W-we don't know. He hasn't been seen here since the m-monster was destroyed."

Now Jolene was annoyed. Thrusting her sword closer to the bartender's exposed neck she hissed, "So you haven't seen him on the island at all?"

The bartender couldn't speak, only shake his head with his arms raised up above his shoulders. Seeing how scared she had made the milk bartender she put away her sword and marched out of the milk bar without another word. She could feel everyones' eyes drilling into her as she walked by, but she didn't dare look back. She walked through the door and slammed it shut with all her might.

As the cool night air greeted her skin she was still within earshot of the milk bar, and could overhear some of the patrons talking about her departure, using phrases like "deranged" and "crazy." Taking a few steps to distance herself from the murmurs coming out of the milk bar she felt her eyes start to sting with tears. Now everyone thought she was the jerk. Linebeck had ripped her heart out and everyone thought he was a hero, thought he deserved to be celebrated. Her heart sputtered in pain, and she couldn't help but let the tears continue to well up. A tear for every beat of her broken heart. She wouldn't let herself cry though, she would not shed another tear for that man. After a few deep breaths she calmed down and realized how ridiculous she was acting. She was a pirate after all, and no pirate would act emotional like this! Shame mixed in with the frustration and pain, but she was able to push her feelings aside. She needed to get back to her ship and begin her long search for Linebeck. She would search every nook and cranny in the ocean to find him, she didn't care. She just needed to get rid of him so he could stop causing her pain.

Before she could take another step, however, Jolene looked up and saw the old man from the tavern standing in her path. Wiping her eyes to make sure no trace of her emotions were there she grimaced at his presence. "What do you want Osh-whatever your name is."

She expected the old man to reprimand her or be unkind, but instead he just gave her a smile. "My dear, I just want to help. I can tell you where Linebeck is."

Jolene's eyes widen with surprise for a moment, but she knew there was a catch. There was always a catch. "A minute ago you were defending your beloved hero, and now you're going to tell me where he is? What game are you playing at old man."

"Oshus"

"Ok fine, Oshus. So, what's your catch?"

He slowly shook his head. "No catch, I just wish to help you. I made a promise to Linebeck that I would grant him one wish if he helped me, but when the time came all he asked for in return was to get his ship back after it was destroyed in the battle. I complied of course, but I knew there was more he desired in his heart. I had vowed to help him, and help him I will."

The pirate knew she must of had a perplexed look on her face for Oshus chuckled. "It doesn't matter, the point is you need to find him so you can do what you need to do. Now if you sail southwest past all the known islands on the map, you will come across some fog. Just keep on sailing through it and you will find him on the first island you come across."

Jolene had never heard more ridiculous directions in all her life. Furrowing her brow she asked, "Who are you?"

He didn't answer of course, only smiled. "Good luck to you, Jolene." And before she could even ask how he knew her name he vanished right there on the spot.


	5. unnatural fog

_Author's note: Sorry everyone for taking so long, this has actually been finished for a while but I thought it had already been posted. Hope to upload more, and getting near the end. :)_

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chapter five.

unnatural fog.

As the sun began to peak it's head over the horizon Jolene found herself steaming along the calm ocean waves in her ship, well beyond the port of Mercay island. With nothing in sight, neither ship nor island, and only the murmur of the sea to keep her company, Jolene couldn't remember ever being so alone. The sea seemed to stretch out endlessly, it didn't look like it would ever end. The waves danced around her in the dawn light, taking on shades of pink and gold as they followed her along. She never liked viewing a sunrise by herself, it always made her feel lonely, like you were starting a new beginning with no one around to share it with. She stared out into the nothingness lost in her thoughts, only stopping to check her compass from time to time to make sure she was headed in the right direction.

Southwest until you past all the known islands. That's what Oshus told her.

Jolene knew it sounded crazy to follow the directions of a weird old man who disappeared right in front of her, but she had no other leads. Granted, seeing an old man appear out of nowhere and then disappear in a blink of an eye was kind of freaky, but despite that she was still following his instructions. There was something about him, something about his kind face that made her feel like she could trust him...

She shook her head, as if trying to shake off the thought. That was nonsense, she couldn't trust him, she couldn't trust anyone. No, he was just some old man who knew some cheap magic tricks, that's all. She was only following his directions because she had nothing else to go off of. Whatever the reason it didn't matter, she needed to focus on the task at hand above all. She needed to find Linebeck.

Just the thought of the sea captain brought pings of old wounds back into her heart. Jolene never allowed herself to think about their past, but even so she still remembered the adventures the two had shared together. She remembered all of them. There were the treasure hunts they would partake that never ended well, the monsters they would encounter that Linebeck would always run away from, the festivals they attended together...

She came back out of her thoughts, realizing that a couple of tears had already stained her cheeks. Tears, that's all she had left. She had done well burying her broken heart underneath the vengeance and anger, and Linebeck had unwittingly brought it back to the surface with a single letter. Like she could just pretend none of it happened. It all happened, the good times, the bad, and the heartbreak. She couldn't just gloss over that, and even if Linebeck was slightly apologetic in his letter she knew it was too little too late. He hurt her, now he would pay for it.

The sun was now fully awake and began to rise higher and higher into the sky. As the little sail boat trudged on all Jolene started to feel more and more dumb for following Oshus' instructions. She hadn't seen anything breaking the horizon for hours, feeling like a fool for believing that old man.

"How could I have been so gullible!" Jolene mumbled to herself. She had been desperate for any indication as to where Linebeck might be, but that didn't mean she should abandoned using common sense. If Oshus thought Linebeck to be a hero, why would he tell her how to find the captain when she clearly wanted vengeance? She should of known it would be nothing more than a wild goose chase.

Annoyed and frustrated she left the helm to go readjust the sail so she could turn around. She would head back to Mercay, and she hoped if the gods were just she could find the old man and give him a piece of her mind. Focusing on untying the various knots she didn't even notice the boat slip into a thick fog until she felt a chill descend on her skin. Looking up she was shocked to see everything immersed in an unnaturally fog. It had only been sunny and warm moments before, with not a cloud in sight. Not only that but the fog was thick as soup, with only a foot out beyond the ship visible.

She was bewildered. "Where the heck did this fog come from?" She wondered out loud, tying the sail in place and making her way back to the helm. Sailors didn't like fog, it shrouded rocks and other obstacles that might be close by, and if she hit anything out in the middle of nowhere you could bet she was a dead man... well, dead woman. Cursing to herself she started to turn the wheel around, when-

CRASH!

Just as she feared the ship hit something up ahead, stopping dead in its tracks. The she-pirate was thrown forward by the sudden change in momentum, hitting the deck next to the wheel hard but thankfully not hard enough to do any damage. Getting up she realized she must have hit a rock, though how would a rock be out here so far away from shore?

Jolene headed over to the rail to asses the damage, hoping it wasn't too bad. If she was stuck, what would happen? Pleading that the ship would be ok she leaned over the side of the rail to get a good look, however she was greeted not by the sight a jagged rock but instead a huge, white whale.

Taken by such surprise the pirate stumbled backwards and pulled her sword out, an automatic defense mechanism whenever danger appeared. It seemed the ship had rammed into the side of the whale's head, though the whale did not seemed to bothered. It merely bobbed up and down in the waves; Jolene was sure it must have been dazed by the collision. Any minute now it would turn to attack, and as if on que the whale arose further out of the water until his big, black eye was level with herself. It took her in, and the longer it stared at her the harder her heart pounded. She felt her chest constrict out of fear, knowing there was nothing she could do to save her ship if the monster decided to attack. Still, she thought as she grasped her scimitar tighter, she wouldn't go down without a fight.

As she started to raised her sword above her head, a booming voice stopped her dead in her tracks. "Jolene, listen to me."

The pirate was sure her heart stopped right then and there. Did... did that whale just speak? She couldn't believe it and started looking around for someone behind her, but there was no one else in the fog. It was just her and the whale.

The voice spoke again. "Jolene, I am the one talking to you." There was no mistaking it that time, the voice definitely came from the whale. Her whole body started to shake in disbelief and fear. She tried to speak, though her voice sounded so meek in her fright. "What... who are you?"

The whale seemed to smile with its eye as it answered. "It is I, the Ocean King. You know me as Oshus."

Oshus!? The old man?

Jolene could feel her head reeling trying to figure everything out, but before she could say anything Oshus continued. "Yes, I am that same old man. You see I was trapped in that form until Link defeated Bellum and released his evil hold over my power. This is my true form, though I approached you as an old man last night in order to help you."

As Jolene started to regain her composure her skepticism returned. "Why would you ever want to help me, what have I done to help you?"

"It was Linebeck that helped me, and now I will help him. You see Linebeck and Link are from a different realm than you, though they both ended up in my realm by mistake. I sent them back where they belong after they vanquished the evil in this realm, but you must follow them. I made a vow I would grant Linebeck his wish, and I am fulfilling it now."

She shook her head. None of this made sense. Another realm? Granting Linebeck his wish? What did this have to do with her?

He must of read her thoughts for a kind look shone in his eye. "I'm helping him by helping you get back to him. I know this doesn't make sense to you now, dear Jolene, but you need to find him."

Jolene couldn't help but clench her teeth in rage. "I mean to kill him! How is helping me end his life paying back a debt you owe him? You have a sick way of repaying back people-"

Before she could finish her rant the Ocean King let out a monstrous bellow, causing the pirate to stumble backwards in shock. Fear took root back in her heart at the sound of his anger.

"I can take many things Jolene, but one thing I cannot bear is someone questioning me fulfilling a debt." Seeing the trepidation in her eyes Oshus' voice regained its gentleness as he continued. "I am helping Linebeck, even if you don't understand it quite yet. Continue sailing through the fog, and I promise you will find him on the first island you come across. Give him my best, and good luck young pirate."

As Jolene stood back up Oshus began descending back into the ocean, below the waves and spray before disappearing completely. Still shaking a bit she steadied herself on the rail as she let her mind catch up with all that just happened. She would of believed her mind had just played a big prank on her if it hadn't been so real. "Oshus... the Ocean King," she told herself quietly. She had seen many bizarre and strange things over her years of travel, including coming across the Ghost Ship on one dreadful occasion, but this had to take the cake. Still... was it really that farfetched?

As Jolene was lost in thought she realized that her ship was starting to trudge forward, now free of the obstacle that had stopped it in its tracks moments earlier. The pirate made her way back to the helm and she knew she had two options. She could make the turn she had planned and head back to Mercay... or she could believe what the old man, rather what the whale had said and continue through the fog. As she absentmindedly chewed on her nails trying to mull it over she took a look backwards, knowing that back where she came from would be going back to square one. And she wanted, no, she needed to find Linebeck. He needed to know the consequence of his actions.

She reached out and grabbed the wheel, and with a heavy sigh she continued straight ahead, putting her faith in what the Ocean King had told her.

In a matter of minutes the fog cleared, opening up to a dark sky light up with hundreds of stars. Jolene look up to the night with a perplexed look, as it had only been late morning moments before. Had she been in the fog that long? She didn't think so, but she figured going instantly from day to night was the least unusual thing that had happened in the fog.

It wasn't until she looked straight ahead that she realized there was an island on the horizon. Squinting in the darkness in looked like the island was rather small, though full of inhabitants by the looks of all the lights illuminating its shores. Jolene felt her pulse quicken as she said to herself, "Ok Oshus, let's see if you were right."


End file.
